New Reason for Living
by HeroxPartnerfan96
Summary: After surviving an attempt to take his life, a Lucario named Aaron is taken in by a Ninetales named Leanne. BlazingAuraShipping
1. The Attempt

**New Reason for Living**

**(This is my second Lucario-centered fanfic, the first one being Pokémon Platinum: Lucario's Journey. But, these Pokémon have their own names, as will be shown later into the story. This is rated T for, like Lucario's Journey, containing Pokémon religion especially from Aaron.)**

**Chapter 1: The Attempt**

**Aaron's POV**

It was sunset and the sky seemed to be a combination of both purple and orange. It would be probably the last time I would see this, and I knew why.

I stood at the edge of a cliff face. I knew why I was here and I wasn't letting anyone know of what I was doing.

Things hadn't been the same for me ever since it happened. I had become convinced that all there was in the world was abuse, anger and hatred; because it had become all that I knew.

But I had hope in one thing: that there was a better place for me in another world. I wouldn't have to suffer like I had been forced to every day; I could actually have a place in the world.

But, something about this made me feel uncertain. I felt very confused and left to wonder whether or not this was actually the right to do.

I was sure that there was an answer for me somewhere, but I had to be sure because I didn't have any idea myself.

I looked up at the sky. I was sure that Arceus, the creator of the Pokémon universe, was looking down on me. I knew this didn't seem right, but I felt like I didn't have a choice.

Something seemed to convince me that He had other plans for me, but I felt so uncertain that I had to be sure.

I looked straight up, hoping that I wouldn't go unheard. "Great Arceus, I know that what I'm doing isn't right, but I just feel like I don't have a choice. But, if you believe that there is still hope for me and I still have a place in this world, please give me the strength to survive this." I whispered.

I must have been taking too long, because a Wartortle behind me was becoming very annoyed. "Okay, less talking, more falling, mister!" he called.

Before I even had a chance to react, he pushed me off the edge! I could feel myself falling; I suddenly realized that this wasn't what I wanted.

Just then, I looked over to see a young Treecko next to me. It seemed like he was bungy jumping because he looked surprised to see me. "Hey, doesn't bungy jumping without a cord seem a bit dangerous?" he asked. But, this wasn't the case for me.

"I need help!" I said, as I grabbed hold of the young Treecko. "Hey, be careful! That's not a good idea!" he called. "Does that really matter now?" I asked in response.

The two of us both continued to fall, but we seemed to slow down. Eventually, we both stopped in mid-air. I looked up at the young Treecko. "Do you remember when these bungy cords go back up?" I asked, because this was starting to make me nervous.

"No, I don't, unfortunately." The Treecko responded. After he said this, the two of us shot back upwards. I wasn't sure of why I did this, but at some point in our flight back up, I let go of the young Treecko allowing him to fly back up by himself.

I was sent flying through the air, not knowing where I would land. I found out a few seconds later; I hit the back of a tree that was behind me and hit the ground, going into unconsciousness.

**Leanne's POV**

I knew that it wasn't going to take me long to get back to my place with the new route that I was taking. 'I guess it was a good idea to listen to that guide.' I thought. I wanted to get back before it became night; I knew what happens on the streets and I wanted to avoid that happening to me.

As I came to a tree nearby, I noticed a very surprising sight. "What's that?" I asked. I got closer and was shocked to find what looked like a Lucario, lying unconscious on the ground.

I ran over immediately. "This isn't good. He looks like he needs help, and fast!" I gasped. I decided to get him back to my place; it wasn't too far from where we were.

But, this started to build up questions in my head. Who was he, and how did he get there? I didn't realize that I would find out a little later.


	2. Recovery

**New Reason for Living**

**Chapter 2: Recovery**

**Aaron's POV**

I couldn't remember how long I was unconscious for, but I figured that it was quite a while.

When I woke up, I was surprised to find myself in what looked like a room. But it was different somehow; it just didn't seem to be what I remembered.

"What is this? Where am I?" I asked, as I looked around. "Oh, it's good to see you're all right." A voice said.

I turned to see that standing at the door was a Ninetails. I was surprised; I had never seen anyone like her before. She came towards me; she had a look of concern on her face. Could it be possible that she was worried about me?

"Where am I?" I asked, confused. "This is my place. I found you unconscious outside and brought you here." The Ninetails said.

"How long was I out for?" I asked, surprised by this. "About a few hours. It's lucky I found you; otherwise I wouldn't want to think of what could have happened to you. I don't know what you went through before I found you, but I don't think that it was good." The Ninetails explained.

I was wordless after hearing this. I survived that experience; my prayer had been answered when I felt helpless. "You did all this... for me?" I asked, completely amazed that this had happened.

"You should get some rest for tonight. You seem like you've been through a lot today. My name's Leanne, by the way." The Ninetails said.

I watched as she started to head out of the room. I felt like I should show her my gratitude for what she had done for me. "Leanne?" I asked. She looked back at me in surprise.

"Thank you... for helping me. I don't think I can ever repay you for this, but I'm just so glad for this." I explained. Leanne smiled, hearing me say that.

"You're welcome." Leanne said, and she headed out of the room leaving me to be by myself.

That night, I lay awake in my room. So much was going through my head about what had happened today. 'I don't understand. How did I survive, when everything seemed hopeless for me?' I thought, wondering how it was possible for me.

I looked outside to see the first star of the night. I felt like I knew the answer; I was allowed to survive that experience and was given a chance to have a new life that was better than what I knew.

"Great Arceus, I can't describe how grateful I am for everything you've done for me. You saved my life, and you've given me a second chance; so I can have a new life. I promise I won't let this opportunity go to waste. I'll do what I can to enjoy what the world has to offer; I'm sure that there's more than what I know. Thank you, for giving me this chance. I'll use it the best I can, I promise." I smiled.

With this, I went to sleep. I could never be happier to be given this chance; it made me realize that Arceus was always watching over me, and had given me a second chance and that was something that I would never forget.


	3. Sharing the Past

**New Reason for Living**

**Chapter 3: Sharing the Past**

The next morning, I woke up to see the bright sunlight shining through the window into my room. Before what happened last night, I thought I wouldn't be able to see this again. But now, being able to see this made me glad that I was alive.

I headed downstairs, thinking that I was the only one there. But, I was surprised to see that Leanne was here. She looked over at me and smiled. I could help but smile back; it actually made me happy to see her.

"Good morning. How are you feeling?" Leanne asked. "A lot better, thanks." I responded. Leanne smiled to hear this.

"That's great to hear. I was worried last night about what would happen to you. Considering what you had possibly been through yesterday, I thought you didn't have that much of a chance." Leanne explained.

I was surprised. Leanne was worried about me? But, it actually made me feel happy inside to know that there was someone who cared about me; I hadn't experienced that for a while.

"You know, last night, you didn't introduce yourself to me." Leanne said. I was surprised to hear this, but I knew she was right. I actually didn't tell her my name last night, which I didn't notice at the time.

"I didn't? I'm sorry for that. I'm Aaron." I explained. "Aaron? That's actually a really good name." Leanne commented. I smiled to hear her say that; I was surprised that she actually liked that.

I sat down nearby; I just wanted to relax for a little bit, knowing that I was all right now. To my surprise, Leanne sat next to me.

"Aaron, would it be all right if I ask you something? It's a little personal though, so I hope you don't mind." Leanne said.

"That's okay, Leanne. I don't mind; you can ask me what you want to." I responded. Leanne was relieved to hear that I didn't mind what she had to ask; I just didn't know what she was going to ask me.

"What exactly happened to you last night? You didn't look so good when I found you." Leanne said. I felt a bit worried upon hearing this. Could I actually take the risk of telling her what I was going to do last night? But, I somehow knew that she was willing to help me in any way she could, so I decided to just risk it.

"Well, Leanne, you might not know about this, but last night... I was planning on taking my own life." I said. That was the truth; the one thing that I knew Leanne wanted to hear.

Much to my surprise, Leanne looked shocked to hear this. She probably couldn't imagine anyone doing something as extreme as that.

"Aaron, why would you do something like that? I just can't imagine such a thing!" Leanne gasped. I thought that once she knew what motivated to do it, then she would understand.

"Leanne, I should explain why I chose to do that. It goes back to when I was a young Riolu. Even though I was teased because I was different, I found support and care from my parents and my brother, Riley. I felt like nothing could separate us; we were all so close. But, after Riley died in an accident, my parents changed. My mum seemed to pay no attention to me at all, and my dad took out his frustrations at me. He abused me and was always violent towards me. I wanted to find help, but I just wasn't accepted by anyone. I felt like I was an outcast, and I was driven to believe that all there was in the world was abuse, anger and hatred." I explained.

Leanne looked very alarmed to hear all of this. I had wanted to tell my problems to someone for a long time, but I couldn't because no-one accepted me. Now that I found someone, I just felt like I could let it all out.

"Aaron... I'm so sorry to hear that this much happened to you. I can understand why you would think things like that; anyone would think those thought at one point in their lives. Now I know why you did what you wanted to do." Leanne said.

"Yes, because I felt like I had no place in the world, I thought that it was the best choice for me. I felt like there was a place for me in another world, and I wouldn't have to face the suffering that I always had." I explained.

"Aaron... no-one should have to go through things like that." Leanne said. I nodded in agreement; I knew that she was right. "And you won't have to now." Leanne added. I was very surprised to hear her say this.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused. "What I mean is that you'll be safe with me. You won't have to go through those unbearable experiences again." Leanne responded.

I was amazed to hear this. Leanne was letting me stay with her? This was unlike anything I had ever experienced. "Leanne... thank you so much. This means a lot to me." I smiled.

Leanne beamed to hear this. "It's the least I can do for you, Aaron." Leanne explained. But that meant a lot to me. She had the things that I had never been able to see before; support, care and concern.


	4. The New Visitor

**New Reason for Living**

**Chapter 4: A Visitor**

A little later on that day, I lay in my room. I was still trying to figure all of this out. Why did Leanne care for me so much? I knew that she did worry for me, but I couldn't figure out why she worried for me.

Just then, I heard Leanne call for me downstairs. "Aaron! Would you like to come down? I have a visitor here, and he seems like he really wants to see you." Leanne said.

I was surprised. Leanne had a visitor over? I had to wonder who it could be. "Okay, I'll be right down." I responded. I came down and was very surprised to who the visitor was.

He was an Electivire. This alarmed me, because it reminded me of an experience that I went through when I was very young.

"Aaron, I'd like you to meet Buzz. Buzz, this is Aaron. I took him in only yesterday." Leanne explained. I was still looking at Buzz; he somehow made me feel very frightened.

"Well, hello there, Aaron. I heard Leanne had someone over, so I thought I'd come visit her to see who it was." Buzz said, and he started to approach me.

As he got closer, a memory from my childhood ran through my mind. It was a memory that I had always wanted to forget since it happened.

_I was a young Riolu when it happened. I was being teased by an Elekid who looked about the same age as me. "Why can't you just leave me alone? I can't help it if I'm different!" I shouted. "You think I'm bad? Wait until you see what an Electivire can do to you. They can zap you pretty badly. When that happens, you'll feel what it's like to mess with Electric-types like us!" Elekid laughed._

That memory suddenly came back to me, and it made me scared of Buzz. "What's wrong?" Buzz asked, becoming concerned. I didn't want him to come near me; I didn't want him to hurt me!

"Please, leave me alone!" I shouted, and unknowingly fired a strong Aura Sphere attack at him. This sent him flying across the room and he hit the wall nearby. Leanne seemed alarmed by this, and she looked over at me.

"Aaron, why did you do that? Did something happen to cause you to attack Buzz?" Leanne asked. She sounded very worried, and at the same time quite alarmed by what had happened.

Realizing what I had done, I felt completely shattered inside. I couldn't believe that I had disappointed Leanne like this. "Leanne... I'm sorry. I was scared. Please, forgive me..." I said. I was just shaken by what I had done without even realizing it.

"You were scared of me? Why?" Buzz asked, sitting up in surprise. I was relieved that he was safe, but I still felt devastated by my actions. I had tried to hurt one of Leanne's friends.

"I didn't want him to hurt me..." I responded. Leanne seemed completely surprised to hear this. She came over to me.

"Aaron, don't worry. He won't hurt you. No-one will." Leanne said, and she nuzzled up against me for comfort. I was surprised, but it suddenly made me feel like I was accepted.

"Leanne..." I gasped. Without knowing it, I held Leanne close in my arms, while tears ran down my face from my flowing happiness inside.

_I'm so glad that Leanne understands, and she forgives me after I tried to hurt one of her friends. It makes me feel accepted, something I hadn't experienced for a long time. Oh, Arceus, thank you..._


	5. First Day Out

**New Reason for Living**

**Chapter 5: First Day Out**

The next day, I was having a proper look around Leanne's place when she headed past me. I was surprised by this, wondering where she was going.

"Aaron, I'm heading out to the market. Would you like to come with me?" Leanne asked. I was surprised to hear this, but I also thought that it would be nice to be outside for a little. Besides, going with Leanne actually sounded like it was really good.

"Okay, I would be glad to come." I responded. This made Leanne smile to hear me say that. As I followed Leanne, more questions ran through my head that I wasn't able to answer.

Why did I enjoy spending time with Leanne? More than that, why did I like just being with her? It was like... she was special in a way that I wasn't able to understand.

The two of us arrived at the market, and I was just wordless. It was huge, unlike anything I had ever seen. Leanne must have noticed me, because she just smiled to see my amazement.

"I know. You probably haven't seen something like this before, have you?" Leanne asked. I shook my head, because it was true. "Follow me." Leanne said. Hearing this, I immediately headed after her.

We both stopped and looked at a stall nearby. "I'll just be over there. Wait for me, Aaron." Leanne said. I nodded in agreement, thinking it best to listen to her.

With this, Leanne headed over to the stall. While I waited for her, I could hear what sounded like laughing. Surprised, I decided to find out what was going on.

I looked nearby to see a young Riolu and Vulpix playing with each other. They were both really happy, knowing that they were just with each other and no-one could disturb them.

I mostly focused my attention on the young Riolu, because he reminded me of what I had missed out on in my childhood: being able to enjoy myself, having fun with others and just experiencing what the world had to offer.

Seeing the two together just amazed me. I had to wonder how they were able to have fun together. It was like they had a special bond with each other, but I couldn't seem to understand what it was.

Leanne must have noticed that I was missing, because she came over looking for me. "There you are, Aaron. I was wondering where you had gone off to." Leanne said. I turned to see her, but then she noticed the Riolu and Vulpix.

"What did they both remind you of?" Leanne asked. I looked back at the two with Leanne and we both watched them on.

"Seeing them just reminded me of what I couldn't enjoy when I was their age. Being able to have fun and just enjoying myself, I could never experience that when I was young. They're both lucky to be with each other; because they can share what they believe is special." I explained, as we looked on at the young twosome.

Leanne looked over at me. "It's okay, Aaron. I'm sure that someday you'll be able to have that again." Leanne said. I was very surprised. Leanne was always so supportive towards me; that was so amazing about her and somehow, that made me feel so happy inside that I met her.

"Thank you, Leanne. I'm so glad that you can be with me. It makes me so glad that I was given the chance to meet you. Your care and concern reminds me of what I used to have." I explained.

Leanne smiled to hear this. I also somehow felt glad that I could make Leanne happy. It was really amazing to have that chance, but I wasn't sure of what that was.

"You're welcome, Aaron. We should head back now." Leanne said. I nodded in agreement, and we both headed out of the market.


	6. Under the Starlight

**New Reason for Living**

**Chapter 6: Under the Starlight**

It was night when Leanne and I arrived back at her place. I wasn't thinking that it would be as far as it was, but I figured that I had been proven wrong.

"Who would have thought that it would take this long? Not me, that's for sure." Leanne said. I could tell that even she was confused by how long we took to arrive. She turned around to me.

"We should head inside. I wouldn't want anything to happen." Leanne said. I was surprised by this. What exactly did she mean by saying this? But, knowing that she was probably serious, I thought that the best thing to do would be to go inside.

But, as I went to follow Leanne, I saw an amazing sight. The night had never looked so wonderful with the stars out and the moon shining in the sky.

Leanne noticed that I wasn't following her and she came outside, confused. "Aaron?" Leanne asked, confused. She came over to me, looking very concerned. "What is it?" she asked.

"You should look at this, Leanne." I explained. When Leanne looked up with me, she was equally as amazed as I was. She probably had never seen the night like this before.

"This is wonderful. I had never seen something like this." Leanne said, and she sat down next to me. I was surprised at first, but smiled to know that she was there.

"I hadn't seen this before either. Isn't it just amazing?" I asked. "Yeah, it is. I don't know why I didn't get the chance to see this before." Leanne responded.

"When I was first considering what I wanted to do, I didn't think I would ever see this again. But now that I've been given a second chance, I guess that I was wrong." I explained.

"Aaron, you won't have to think of something like that now. You should be able to enjoy the world as it is and not have to worry about anything that had happened to you before." Leanne said.

I smiled, hearing this. Leanne was right; I shouldn't worry about what had happened to me before. I could finally enjoy life now and be able to live how I had always wanted to.

Just then, Leanne noticed one particular star in the sky. It was a bright combination of both white and yellow, and it seemed to confuse her to see something like this.

"Aaron, what's that over there?" Leanne asked. I looked up with her to see what she meant, and I smiled because I could tell what it was. It was the first star of the night, and it was very special too.

"When I was growing up, I was told that that's the star of Arceus, the creator of this universe." I explained. Leanne was surprised upon hearing this. I guessed that she wasn't as familiar with this idea as I was.

"Is that true?" she asked in surprise. "Yes, and ever since then I always believe that Arceus is watching over us from there. I never lost hope in the fact that He would help me, and by giving me another chance to live, I knew that it was true." I said.

Leanne was fascinated, hearing this. I could tell that she was interested, after she heard what I had to say.

"I'm going to head back inside now. You can come in when you're ready." Leanne said. "Okay, I'll be right there." I responded.

With this, Leanne headed back inside leaving me by myself. Looking up at the stars, I couldn't help but realize that this was where I was supposed to be. Because I had been given a chance to live, I could never have been more grateful for what took place on that day.


	7. Discovery

**New Reason for Living**

**Chapter 7: Discovery**

Later on that night, I was asleep in my room when I could hear the sound of sobbing. I could hear that it was coming from Leanne's room. Getting up, I headed over to her room to see that she was sitting by her window. I came over and sat next to her.

"Leanne, what's wrong?" I asked. Leanne looked up at me and I could see that there were tears in her eyes. "I'm all right, Aaron. You don't need to worry." Leanne responded. I could tell that there was something upsetting her and I wasn't going to leave her when she was feeling like this.

"Leanne, I don't want to leave you alone when you're upset. So, won't you please tell me what's wrong?" I asked. Leanne looked over at me and she could tell that I meant what I was saying, and I knew what I meant it as well.

Without saying anything, Leanne showed me a photo. I looked at it to see that it was of her as a young Vulpix. She was alongside another Vulpix, except that it was a male. "Who's this?" I asked, pointing to the male in the photo.

"That's my former boyfriend, Blaze. We were both so close, it seemed like we couldn't be separated." Leanne said. I didn't realize that this would be a story I would never forget.

_Leanne was a young Vulpix. She was so free and always cheerful around her friends and could strike up conversation with almost anyone. But then one day, she met someone. He was a fellow Vulpix and Leanne's friends always talked positively of him._

_Interested, Leanne decided to talk to him. She came across him one day hanging out with his friends. He turned to see her and smiled; she was unlike anyone she had ever seen._

"_Hello." Leanne smiled. "Hey, there. I haven't seen you before." Blaze said. Leanne smiled; she hadn't seen Blaze before either. "I guess I have been here a while, so I know a lot of people here very well." Leanne responded._

_Blaze smiled to hear that. "Well, it's nice to meet you. My name's Blaze." he said. "That's a nice name. Mine's Leanne." Leanne said. "I like the sound of that." Blaze said. Leanne smiled; this looked like the start of something good in her life._

_The next day, Leanne went to see her friends. "You guys won't believe this. I met Blaze yesterday and I think he likes me!" Leanne smiled. Her friends were really happy when they heard this; anyone would be lucky to have someone like Blaze._

_Leanne and Blaze were so happy since they met. They spent a lot of time together and it looked like they would be together forever. But that was about to change one day..._

_Many years had passed and Leanne had now evolved into a Ninetails, so did Blaze. Leanne came to Blaze's room one day, looking for him. "Blaze, where are you?" Leanne asked. She was surprised to see what looked like a letter on his bed. She read it to see who it was to and tears started to build in her eyes when she saw who it was to: none other than a Rapidash named Abigail._

_Later, Leanne confronted Blaze who was shocked when he heard this from her. "Why did you do this to me, Blaze? I thought we were supposed to be together!" Leanne shouted, in a mix of sadness, betrayal and anger._

"_She makes me happy, Leanne! I just feel like she is the one." Blaze responded, not being able to understand why Leanne was this upset. He thought that she would be able to trust him, but that didn't seem to be true now seeing her like this._

"_I loved you, and gave my life to you. And why do you repay me like this? How could you, Blaze?" Leanne asked, distraught. "I'm sorry, Leanne. But I guess it was meant to be like this." Blaze said._

_This shocked Leanne even more. This time she wasn't sad, she was downright furious. She couldn't believe that she had been used by someone that she had given herself to._

"_You are horrible, Blaze! I never want to see you again! We're through!" Leanne shouted, and she ran out of his house deeply hurt and shocked. She couldn't believe that this had happened to her. She felt betrayed, used and felt like she had no hope left..._

I was shocked, hearing this. I couldn't believe that this had happened to Leanne. But it made me realize that I had to make her happy; I was sure that it was what she wanted.

"Because of that, I vowed to myself not to give myself to anyone else because I had become afraid that I would be heartbroken again." Leanne said. I was alarmed. Why would she want to decide on something like that?

"That's awful, Leanne. I don't understand why anyone would want to use you like this. Anyone would be lucky to know you." I explained. Leanne looked at me in surprise.

"You think so?" she asked. "Absolutely. And I think we should do something together tomorrow night." I explained. I suddenly stopped, realizing what I had just asked of Leanne.

"Are you asking me out?" Leanne asked. I couldn't believe what I had just heard, and I had to ask myself that. But it actually seemed like the right thing; maybe I could be the one that Leanne was meant to be with. After all, she had done so much for me. So it seemed right that I should do something for her.

"Well... yes." I responded, Leanne looked like she put that into thought. I hoped I wasn't trying to make things worse for her. I just wanted to try and make a difference to improve her life.

After a few seconds, Leanne smiled. "Yes, I would like to go out with you, Aaron. I think that this might be what I need." Leanne said. I smiled to know that Leanne accepted. I wasn't trying to do anything; I just wanted to make things better for her.

"I'll make sure this is something you won't regret, Leanne." I said. With this, I headed out of her room to let her get some sleep. I wanted to make her happy, and I didn't know that I was doing that by asking this of her.


	8. The Night's Beginning

**New Reason for Living**

**Chapter 8: The Night's Beginning**

I could not believe what I just did that following night; I had asked Leanne out and believe it or not, she agreed. It was shocking to me in one way because of the fact that I had never experienced something like this before in my life, so it made me feel nervous.

But at the same time, it made me happy to know that I could be able to help make things better for Leanne. She hadn't had such a good history when she was little as I realized, so knowing that she had done a lot for me made it seem right that I should do something for her in return.

There was something that worried me, though. I hadn't done something like this before, so I didn't know what to do. But I was sure I'd be all right. After all, it didn't seem like it would be that hard to deal with.

Just then, I could hear Leanne call for me downstairs. "Aaron, are you okay? I'm ready to go!" she called. Hearing that, I knew that I needed to take my chances. Even though I was worried, I knew I had to make this night good for both of us.

"Okay. I'll be right there, Leanne!" I responded, and headed downstairs to see her. I smiled, knowing that she was secretly looking forward to this as much as I was. "Are you ready to go, Leanne?" I asked. Leanne brightly smiled at me.

"You know I am. Let's go." Leanne smiled. With this, the two of us headed out of her house into the nightlight for our first official night out together.


	9. Amazing Night

**New Reason for Living**

**(A lot of this is inspired by a lot of things that I like and the song used in this chapter is from Lady and the Tramp 2.)**

**Chapter 9: Amazing Night**

Leanne and I both headed through the street, ready for this night. It actually seemed a lot harder than I thought it would be, mostly because I wasn't sure of what Leanne would like.

Leanne headed further ahead. Surprised at first, I immediately followed her. "Can you try to wait a little? I never expect that." I explained. Leanne just smiled at me. "I can't help it. It's just that this is the first time in a while I ever went out." Leanne explained.

**(From this part onwards, play 'I didn't know that I could feel this way' from Lady and the Tramp 2.)**

**Third Person View**

Aaron looked over to see that Leanne was smiling at him. He didn't know why, but somehow he enjoyed spending this time with her. Ever since he had met her when this started, he had wanted to spend time with her; he somehow really enjoyed it.

Leanne couldn't help but feel so happy just being with Aaron. Somehow he reminded her of Blaze when he was young. But that was what she liked; to have a feeling of knowing that she was as happy as she was when she was little.

As the two continued on their way, Aaron noticed a tree nearby. This gave him an idea. Leanne looked in surprise to notice that Aaron wasn't following her, then she looked back to see that he had carved their initials: Aaron & Leanne. Leanne happily laughed when she saw this; it actually looked really nice.

But then to the two's surprise, fireflies started to fly in the air around them. The two smiled when they saw this; it was such a wonderful sight. With this, they were both off.

When they both stopped, they found that they were on a hillside. Aaron quickly noticed that there were the lights of the town shining below. He sat down and invited Leanne to sit with him. Smiling, Leanne came and sat down next to him. They both looked up to see the moonlight and the stars shining in the night sky.

Aaron and Leanne both smiled at one another. Leanne nuzzled up against Aaron; she clearly loved that they were alone and only they were together. Smiling, Aaron held Leanne close in his arms and the two both looked out at the beautiful view, just with each other.

**(End song)**

**Aaron's POV**

Leanne and I both arrived back at her house. I had no idea that tonight would be this good, but I felt happy that it was because that was how I wanted it to be. Leanne looked over at me and I could tell that she was so happy.

"Aaron, I had such a fun time tonight. I never had a night this wonderful for a while. Thanks." Leanne said. I smiled, knowing that Leanne really enjoyed herself. I felt so glad to know that I was able to make her happy.

"I'm glad to hear that, Leanne." I explained. Leanne beamed, and she came over to me. I was surprised, but at the same time I knew that I had taken this opportunity for Leanne to enjoy herself and it worked out better than I could have imagined.

"I'm looking forward to another night like this. Good night, Aaron." Leanne said. With this, to my surprise, Leanne kissed me on the cheek and she headed upstairs still smiling at me.

I was alarmed; I didn't expect that at all. But then, a bright smile replaced my shock with amazement and happiness. Although I didn't expect this, I still felt really happy that it could happen. I headed upstairs to my room, the thought that Leanne was happy still in my mind.


	10. Unexpected Guest

**New Reason for Living**

**Chapter 10: Unexpected Guest**

The next morning, Leanne and I were both downstairs. The events of last night were still clear in my head and I was sure that it was the same for Leanne. I wasn't sure why, but somehow it seemed that I could be the one that Leanne had been looking for. Despite the fact that Leanne had promised herself not to let that happen to her again, I was sure that she was starting to change her mind.

Just then, there was a knock on the front door. "I'll go see who it is." Leanne said. She went over and opened the door. It was then that she received a nasty surprise. Standing at the front entrance was a male Ninetales. Leanne could recognize who it was almost immediately.

"Is that you, Blaze?" Leanne asked in surprise. The male Ninetales nodded in agreement. "That's right, Leanne. It's me." he said. I looked to see who our visitor was and I could feel myself burning up with anger in a second. I could not believe this. It was Blaze; the one who made Leanne fall apart when she was young. I immediately came over and stepped in front of Leanne, to her surprise.

"What do you want?" I asked. Blaze looked alarmed to hear me say that. And it was for a good reason why I was acting like this; I wasn't going to let him do anything else to Leanne. "What's with you?" Blaze asked. He sounded completely unafraid, but I knew what I was going to say to him.

"I know what you did to Leanne when she was young; she told me about it. If you think that you're going to try that again, you have another thing coming for you." I explained. I actually found myself wordless by what I just said. But I knew that it was for a good reason; I was going to let anything bad happen to Leanne again. But to my surprise, Blaze looked confused and didn't seem to know what I was talking about.

"There's no need to be so worked up. I just came to see how Leanne's doing." Blaze explained. I wanted to believe him, but I couldn't shake the feeling that he was up to something. Leanne stepped back in front of me.

"I'm sorry about Aaron. He heard about what happened, and I guess he got really upset seeing you. But you don't need to worry, he'll be okay. Why don't you come in, Blaze?" Leanne asked. I could not believe that I had heard that, but Blaze smiled.

"Thanks, Leanne." Blaze said and with this, he came inside while Leanne and I watched him on. "Leanne, are you sure about this?" I asked, concerned. "Don't worry, Aaron. He's coming to visit. I'm sure there isn't anything wrong with that." Leanne explained.

Blaze looked around in interest. I figured that he wasn't aware of the fact that Leanne had been able to live by herself. "I have to say, Leanne, I'm actually impressed by the fact that you could change thing for yourself after what had happened." Blaze explained.

"You think so?" Leanne asked, smiling. I still looked on at Blaze to make sure that what he was saying to me was true. I couldn't really trust him because I knew of what he did to Leanne. Blaze turned to notice me, seeming unfamiliar with me.

"Who's this, Leanne?" Blaze asked. Leanne turned to notice me and smiled. "I'd like you to meet my friend, Aaron. He's been living with me for a while." Leanne explained. I looked at Leanne and then looked back at Blaze who was smiling.

"So Aaron, I'm sure Leanne told you about me. I'm Blaze, her former boyfriend. I knew Leanne since she was young, so we both know each other very well." Blaze explained. I clearly knew who Blaze was with right now, a Rapidash named Abigail. But somehow, I had the feeling that Blaze was trying to get Leanne back into his life.

"Leanne, would it be all right if I stay with you for a while? I had a bit of a misunderstanding with Abigail and now she needs some time to herself. You don't mind, do you?" Blaze asked. Leanne had a bit of a thought of herself about this. She wasn't so sure, but somehow it seemed to her that she could try and get along with Blaze again.

"No, I don't. That's all right with me, Blaze. You can stay in the same room with Aaron." Leanne said. I was alarmed when I heard that. There was no way I was going to let that backstabber be in the same room with me! "Is that okay with you, Aaron?" Leanne asked. I was about to tell her what I thought of this when I stopped myself.

I wasn't sure why, but I couldn't bear to bring myself to say this. I knew it would hurt Leanne's feelings and I didn't want to do that to her, especially since she went through the same thing before.

"Yeah, that's all right, Leanne." I responded. It wasn't what I wanted to say, but I knew that it would make Leanne happy. I was right because she smiled. "That's great. Thanks, Aaron." Leanne said. In spite of this, I knew that I was going to keep my eye on Blaze, just in case he wanted to try anything. 


	11. Festival Festivities

**New Reason for Living**

**Chapter 11: Festival Festivities**

That next morning, I was surprised to notice that Blaze wasn't there. I figured that he must have gone downstairs, so I headed down to notice that he was there with Leanne. It sounded like he was talking to her, so I hid nearby to listen in to what he was saying.

"Leanne, I heard that the festival is on today. I thought it would be great if you could come with me." Blaze said. I couldn't believe what I was hearing; Blaze was asking Leanne out. After a bit of thought, Leanne smiled.

"That would be great, Blaze." Leanne said. I was alarmed when I heard that. Without realizing, I came out from where I was hiding. Leanne turned to see me and she smiled. "Morning, Aaron. Were we disturbing you?" she asked. Despite having heard everything, I decided to pretend I didn't hear anything of what Blaze was saying.

"No, I just came down to see what was going on." I responded. Even though I knew that wasn't true, it certainly seemed like the right thing to say. "You won't believe it, Aaron. Blaze asked me if I would like to go to the festival with him." Leanne explained. It actually wasn't a surprise to me because I overheard Blaze.

"Would you like to come as well, Aaron?" Leanne asked. I was surprised to hear that, but then I figured that I could keep an eye on Blaze as well as have a good time with Leanne. It didn't seem like it would be that hard to do both at the same time.

"All right. It sounds like it will be good." I responded. Leanne smiled when she heard this, but I was going to keep my eye on Blaze; I didn't want him to do anything from behind Leanne's back when she didn't expect it.

When the three of us arrived, Leanne and Blaze were both amazed. I was impressed as well, but that was because I hadn't seen anything that was like this. "This is amazing. It reminds me of us going out when we were little." Leanne said, looking over at Blaze.

Blaze smiled when he heard that; it seemed like he was happy to know that he was starting to be able to spend time with Leanne again. I decided that I was going to keep an eye on Blaze, just to be sure that I could trust him.

I looked down at a brochure that I got when we came in. As I looked at what has happening today, I smiled as something caught my attention. "Look at this, Leanne. It says that there will be a fireworks display tonight." I said as I showed the brochure to Leanne. Leanne looked at it with me and she smiled.

"That sounds like it will be great." Leanne commented. I nodded in agreement; I was looking forward to seeing that sight with her. Blaze however looked like he had a different idea on his mind.

"Leanne, come look at this!" he called. Leanne came over to see what Blaze found. Wondering what was going on, I followed as well. "What'd you find, Blaze?" Leanne asked, interested. Blaze showed her what looked like a machine with an arrow in it.

"It says that this can show you who your life partner is." Blaze said. Leanne seemed like she was fascinated when she heard this. I was surprised as well. "I'll need to try it later. Why don't we look for something fun?" Leanne asked. Blaze nodded in agreement and with that, they both headed off leaving me by myself. I looked at the machine for a moment.

"I guess it wouldn't be that bad to try it out." I said. After getting it active, I was surprised to see that it was pointing to Leanne. I was confused when I saw this. I looked over at Leanne, who was with Blaze at a juice stall.

'_I don't understand. How can my partner be Leanne? I haven't known her for very long and neither has she known me for long, so how is this possible? Although when you think about it, we have been spending a lot of time together. Could it be possible that I'm falling for her? Oh Arceus, this is so hard to understand.' _I thought. There was a lot running through my head, most of which didn't make much sense to me. How could that be possible, me falling for Leanne? We were different species, so how would it ever work out?

That night, I was sitting on the hillside where the fireworks could be seen well. I was still trying to figure out how this was possible when Leanne and Blaze came over. "There you are, Aaron. I figured you would wait for us." Leanne said. "Yeah, I didn't see you with us all day. Where were you?" Blaze asked.

I wanted to tell Leanne about what happened, but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to. I wasn't sure why, but as much as I wanted to tell her I wasn't able to. "I was a bit busy, so I wasn't able to catch up with you." I explained. I felt horrible inside, because I knew I was lying to myself.

"That's all right. I had a lot of those times myself." Leanne smiled as she sat down next to me. I was surprised, but like a lot of times before I smiled. It somehow always felt wonderful whenever Leanne was with me. We both smiled at one another, and I could be sure I saw Leanne's eyes glittering. It was a wonderful sight to see to me.

"Look at that, you two. The fireworks are starting!" Blaze said. Sure enough we looked up and we saw fireworks going off and lighting up the sky. Leanne was amazed and so was I.

"This is wonderful. I haven't seen anything like this for a while." Leanne said. I looked at her and I could tell that she was so glad to be here, like I was. "I know. This is amazing; I'm sure that it would be better to have someone close to you with you there." I explained, unaware of what I was saying. Leanne looked at me in surprise and then she smiled.

"I already have that, Aaron." Leanne said. I was surprised when I heard this. "Who's that?" I asked. In response, Leanne nuzzled up against me to my surprise and amazement. "That's you, Aaron." Leanne responded. After a moment of surprise, I smiled.

_I guess my least possible thought was right. I am falling for Leanne and she's falling for me in return. But why? I guess it's because I'm just myself. And I'm not sure why, but I feel like I would do anything for Leanne, just to make her happy. That makes me feel happy with myself in return. I don't think anything could go wrong now, could they?_


	12. Romantic Dance

**New Reason for Living**

**Chapter 12: Romantic Dance**

Sometime later, the three of us were starting to head back to Leanne's place. While we were on our way, I was surprised to hear what sounded like a discussion between Leanne and Blaze.

"Leanne, I don't know why, but I'm starting to think that there's something going on between you and Aaron." Blaze said. I was surprised to hear this, so was Leanne as she was completely shocked when she heard that. I could tell that she didn't think very much of this.

"What are you talking about, Blaze? There's no way that that's possible!" Leanne exclaimed. Blaze brightly smiled, hearing her denial. "Trust me, Leanne. I know the signs of a relationship, and denial is one of them. You like Aaron, don't you?" he asked. Leanne's expression turned into uncertainty when she heard this. It was like she couldn't be sure herself.

"Well, I don't really know, Blaze. I do get along very well with him, but I just can't be certain of that myself. We have been spending a lot of time together, but I'm not of sure of what to think of this." Leanne explained. I could tell that she seemed very unsure of this; she hadn't experienced something like this for a while.

However, I had never experienced something like this before in my life. It was like ever since I started living with Leanne, everything had completely changed for me. But I wasn't sure of why I felt this way about her; it was almost as if it seemed like I was the one that Leanne was meant to be with and she was meant to be with me. I couldn't figure out why I thought that, though.

But then, something interrupted my thoughts and caught my attention. "Look at that!" I said. Leanne and Blaze looked with me and they were both surprised. It was an area for partners to dance with each other. "How come we didn't get to see that before?" Blaze asked. Leanne brightly smiled as she looked on at this.

"I'd love to go there! The only problem is I don't have a partner." Leanne said. I wasn't sure of why, but I felt like I should go with Leanne. I didn't know why, but it just seemed like the right thing for me to do. So without hesitance, I came over to Leanne and looked at her.

"If you don't mind, Leanne, would you like to dance with me?" I asked. Leanne looked at me in surprise when she heard that. "Do you really mean that, Aaron?" she asked in amazement. I looked behind her to see that Blaze was watching us on; he had a look of alarm on his face. Despite seeing this, I wanted to have a good time with Leanne so I nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I do." I responded. Leanne beamed, delighted when she heard that. "Thanks, Aaron. We should hurry before anyone else comes." Leanne said. With this, the two of us both got into the area. I looked to see Blaze who was staring in shock; he probably wasn't expecting this to happen. I felt nervous, knowing he was there.

"Are you all right, Aaron? You look a little distracted." Leanne said, drawing my attention back. "Yeah, I'm okay, Leanne. Thanks for asking." I responded. Leanne smiled, hearing that I was okay. I was just hoping that Blaze wasn't going to annoy us once this was over.

But when we started dancing, my worries didn't seem to exist in my mind anymore. What mattered to me was that Leanne was there and we were just with each other. I smiled as I could see that she was having a fun time like I was. "I didn't know that you were a good dancer, Aaron." Leanne commented, impressed. I brightly smiled at this compliment.

"I guess there are some things I didn't know myself." I responded. Leanne happily laughed at this. I could see Leanne's bright smile and her eyes seemed to twinkle in the moonlight. It was really a wonderful sight for me to see; I hadn't seen Leanne as stunning as this before. '_I guess some things turn out better than expected.'_ I thought.

The two of us both brightly smiled; what mattered to us now was just being with each other and that was how we wanted it to be. No-one was around, just the two of us alone with each other. I could see Leanne's shining eyes as she smiled at me and I smiled back.

"This is the best night I've ever had, Aaron." Leanne said. "Me too, Leanne." I responded. With this, unknowingly the two of us kissed. It didn't matter to us that others were around; what mattered was that we were with each other. I had never experienced feeling like this before, but I knew that it was more amazing than anything I had ever felt.


	13. Never Alone

**New Reason for Living**

**Chapter 13: Never Alone**

Back at Leanne's place, I was asleep still thinking about what had taken place tonight. I couldn't believe what had happened; Leanne and I had kissed. I never expected it, but I didn't realize that it could be so amazing. It was almost as if Leanne and I were meant to be; I couldn't deny it any longer than I already was.

I woke up and decided to check on Leanne in her room. But when I came inside, I noticed that she looked very unsettled even though she was asleep. It was like she was finding it hard to sleep; something was disturbing her. I sat down next to her, just so she wasn't by herself. I thought it would be best that someone was with her for tonight; it seemed like she needed that.

But then to my surprise, Leanne woke up in a fright. I jumped, surprised and nearly fell over. After she looked around, Leanne turned to notice me. "Aaron?" she asked, surprised and confused at the same time. I sat up and shook myself off from that.

"Leanne, are you all right?" I asked, concerned as I sat down next to Leanne. She looked at me and I was surprised that she looked very frightened, as if there was something that really scared her while she was asleep.

"I was having a nightmare, Aaron." Leanne said. I was shocked to hear that; as far as I could tell, that didn't happen very often expect to me when I was little. But that hadn't happened to me ever since, so that meant that I was all right. What mattered to me right now was helping Leanne because it was what she needed.

"What happened?" I asked, worried. Leanne looked at me and she could see my worry, but she immediately looked away as if she was scared to tell me. "I can't tell you, Aaron. It was so awful!" Leanne cried. I was surprised to hear that, but there was no way I was leaving Leanne by herself when she was like this.

"Leanne, I don't want you to be upset. I want to help you, but I can't if I don't know what making you feel like this." I explained. Leanne could tell that I meant this, so she looked back at me and decided to tell me what happened in her nightmare.

"Well, not long after our dance, I could see that Blaze was furious. It was as if he felt like he was being neglected again, because we were both enjoying ourselves. He threatened to hurt you unless we stopped, but you refused and told him that I deserved better than someone like him. That got him worked up and he started to hurt you, and I wasn't able to do anything because I was so alarmed by that." Leanne explained. Her eyes built up with tears and she looked away upset. I was shocked hearing this; I couldn't believe that I had heard this.

"I don't want to be the one that causes you to get hurt, Aaron. I don't want you to get hurt because of me!" Leanne cried. I could tell that she was clearly very worked up by this, but I knew that she wouldn't be the one that would get me hurt; that wasn't possible of her.

"I'm not going to let that happen, Leanne." I said. Leanne looked at me in surprise. "There's no way that I could get hurt because of you, Leanne. That just isn't possible of you." I said. Leanne shook her head and responded "Aaron, you could get hurt by Blaze just because you're with me. That's how he was when he was young too; he wouldn't let anyone else be with me. So, that's why I just think it's possible that it could happen now."

I knew that this was harder than I expected, but I wasn't going to let Leanne think that this was possible, because it wasn't in my eyes. I wanted Leanne to know that, one way or another.

"I won't let that happen, Leanne. Even though you might think it's possible, it really isn't. It might be something that worries you, but that doesn't mean you should think that it could happen. It could, but I won't let that happen to you. You've been through too much now, and I'm not going to let you go through the same thing again. I'm not going to let you get hurt, Leanne; it's something I can't stand." I explained.

I was amazed when I realized what I was saying, but I could see that Leanne was looking at me amazed. She still had tears in her eyes, but this time it was because of happiness from hearing this from me. "Oh, Aaron..." Leanne gasped, amazed.

"I know; even I can't understand how I was able to say that." I said. But Leanne brightly smiled at me. "No one has ever said that to me for a long time. It makes me feel so happy to hear you say that." Leanne said. I smiled to know that she was happy at last.

"All I want is for you to be happy, Leanne. And I'm going to do that, no matter what." I said. With that, I held Leanne close as she nuzzled against me. I knew what I was saying was true; I was going to make Leanne happy, even if it meant doing things that were extreme.


	14. Moment of Desperation

**New Reason for Living**

**Chapter 14: Moment of Desperation **

The next morning, I was asleep in my room when I could hear what sounded like an argument downstairs. I headed out of my room and looked from the staircase to see that it was Leanne and Blaze. From I was, I could clearly hear what they were saying.

"What is going on, Leanne? Why is it that you're spending so much time with him instead of me?" Blaze asked. I could tell that he was referring to me; it sounded like he was confronting Leanne about my relationship with her.

"That's because he was able to be there for me when I needed someone, Blaze! He could fix what you left of me! He's everything that I ever wanted!" Leanne responded. I was surprised; I didn't think that Leanne could be so serious, but I guessed that it was when she needed to be.

"I don't understand you, Leanne. What do you see in him? He's obviously a different species from you, so how do you expect to ever work out with him?" Blaze asked. I was shocked when I heard that; I didn't think about that for a second! How come I didn't see this?

"He might be different from me, but he's more than you could ever be. He has everything you used to have: generosity, comfort and just being there when I need him." Leanne responded. I smiled; it sounded so wonderful to hear Leanne standing up for me. It was because I knew everything that she was saying was true.

"You should think about what you do, Leanne. Or else you could get hurt when you don't realise it." Blaze said. I realised that there was something about those words that made me feel nervous for a reason. I wasn't sure of why, but it sounded like Blaze was trying to threaten Leanne by saying that.

"You can think what you want to, but I won't apologize for who I am, Blaze." Leanne responded, turning away from him. Blaze's expression changed to being extremely annoyed by Leanne's persistence. It was as if he couldn't tolerate how Leanne was acting right now. He looked on at Leanne and came over to her.

"I might not be able to get through to you, but I can do worse than you expect. The next time Aaron sees me, I'm going to give a lesson he won't forget." Blaze said and he headed upstairs, not noticing me on his way. I sighed with relief at this. I looked back downstairs to see Leanne with her back turned; it seemed like she was very upset now.

I carefully headed downstairs and came over to her. "Leanne, are you all right?" I asked. Leanne looked over at me and I was surprised to see that there was sadness in her face, but I could tell why.

"My worst fears are being realized, Aaron. Blaze wants to hurt you, and it's because of me." Leanne said and she headed out of the house to be alone. I was shocked; I couldn't believe what I had just heard. I started to become desperate now, for an answer.

_Why does Blaze want to do this, when I haven't done anything to him? More than that, what am I going to do?_


	15. A Vital Decision

**New Reason for Living**

**Chapter 15: A Vital Decision**

That night, I lay in my room. I had so much running through my heard that I needed to think about. "I don't know what to do anymore. How can I be with Leanne, if I know that Blaze will always be after me? Why is he doing this, when I didn't do anything to him? What am I supposed to do about all this?" I asked. I felt so desperate that I didn't know I was going to do now. I looked outside to see the night sky through my window; it was my one comfort from what was happening.

"What am I going to do? I didn't want it to go like this, but now look at what I've caused. Leanne's upset because she knows her fears are real and I'm in danger of being hurt by Blaze. Please help me; I can't do this alone!" I whispered as I looked outside at the sky. I turned back around upset by what had happened. 'What have I done?' I thought. That was when my decision came to me; what I was going to do to set this right.

'It may make Leanne sad, but this is for her safety.' I thought. I headed out of my room and looked in Leanne's room to see that she was asleep. But I knew she was still thinking about what had happened, like I was. "I'm sorry, Leanne. I'm doing this for your sake. I can't stay here; I can't let you get hurt because of me." I said as I looked on at her. With that, I headed downstairs and looked around. I couldn't believe I was leaving the one place that I could call home, but I knew I couldn't stay; it was too risky for me.

"I'm sorry it had to be this way. But it's the one thing I know will set everything right." I said and headed out, closing the door behind me. I looked back, knowing that Leanne was there and so was Blaze. It was going to be hard, but I knew that it was the right thing to do. This was the only way; I was convinced of this.

"I hope Leanne understands." I said, and immediately headed off. I didn't know where I was going, but that didn't matter. What mattered was keeping Leanne safe and doing what I believed was right. Even though it would hurt her feelings, it would ensure her own safety and mine as well.


	16. Bends in the Path

**New Reason for Living**

**Chapter 16: Bends in the Path**

That morning, I was surprised to notice how far I was. I was out in the town that Leanne went to. Noticing that everyone was around, I decided that I needed some time to myself to think. I sat up on the hillside where Leanne and I had our first night out together.

I was surprised by how much had happened since that fateful day when my life changed for the better. _So much had happened since then, but does that mean it had to go like this? This isn't what I expected it to be. I thought that I would finally have what I wanted. I guess Leanne doesn't deserve me after all; I wanted to make things better, but I only made it worse by just being with her. How could I have been so wrong like I was?_

I felt ashamed with myself all of a sudden by what I had been doing ever since I came into Leanne's life. That was when it came to her; her life was better before I came. She was all right living by herself; she didn't have any troubles like she did now.

"Why am I saying this? Leanne wasn't any better off alone than she was when I came. I'm the one who changed things for her; I wanted her to have a better life than she did before I came. She was happy when she was with me, and I was happy when I was with her." I said to myself. This wasn't making any sense to me; there were so many thought in my head at once that they were all clashing with one another. How was I going to be able to figure any of this out if I couldn't figure anything out?

"I can't understand any of this. How can I work out what the right thing is if there are so many wrong things in what's right on its own?" I asked, confused by my own thoughts. How could staying away be so right, yet so wrong at the same time? It was right because Leanne's safety and my own was ensured, but it was also wrong because I was hurting Leanne's feeling by now being there.

The one place to be came to me; the place where all of this started. "Maybe everything will become clear to me if I go there." I said. With this, I got up and headed off. I hoped that I would be able to understand what the right thing was to do if I was there. It was where everything started, so hopefully it would also be where everything would be clear to me and what I was going to do.


	17. The Best Choices are Unexpected

**New Reason for Living**

**Chapter 17: The Best Choices are Unexpected**

**Leanne's POV**

I headed downstairs that morning. "Aaron? I know Blaze can be a bit serious sometimes, but I found out he didn't mean what he said. He was just a bit upset that we were together." I said. But I was surprised to see that Aaron wasn't there. "Aaron, where are you?" I asked. I was surprised to see what looked like a tape on the kitchen table.

I took it up to my room and put it in my VCR. I sat on my bed to see what it was. I was surprised to see that it was Aaron; it seemed like he recorded it last night. He sat on a chair in the kitchen and had the camera pointed to him.

"Leanne?" he asked on the TV. Surprised, I looked over at the TV to listen to what Aaron had to say to me. "I've really had a lot of fun with you. I have to say, I really need to thank you for making things right for me when I felt like I had no hope left." Aaron said. I smiled at this. "It's really the least I can do, Aaron." I responded, even though I knew he couldn't hear me.

"You see, Leanne, I'm sure that you know that I've been doing things for you just like you've done things for me. Well, I've realized that I made a mistake." Aaron continued. "What's that?" I asked, confused by what he meant. Aaron seemed like he had a bit of thought as to what to say before he continued.

"My mistake is that I've caused Blaze to want to hurt me. And it's all because I'm just being with you, Leanne. My feeling is that it threatens him and makes him feel like he's nothing. This is hard for me to say, but I'm leaving to ensure your safety and I'm not going to come back." Aaron said. I was shocked; was I really hearing this? Aaron was really leaving, when he was all that mattered to me?

"And to show that I mean it, I have one thing to say; it's something that I always wanted to say but didn't get the chance to. I love you, Leanne, and I'll miss you." Aaron said; it sounded like he had gotten sad while he was saying that. Tears ran down from my eyes at that last statement; I couldn't believe Aaron meant that.

Blaze came inside and noticed me. "What's wrong, Leanne?" he asked. "Aaron left, and he isn't coming back." I responded as I realized the truth; Aaron did feel like I mattered to him, but he couldn't explain it.

"Leanne, you need to find him." Blaze said. I turned to him, confused. "What was that, Blaze?" I asked. "If there's one thing I know about true love, it's that one always does what it takes to find their partner, no matter where they've gone." Blaze said as an answer to my question. I walked over to him.

"But what about everything you said yesterday, about how we would never work out?" I asked. Blaze shook his head. "I was wrong about all that; I wasn't considering what you wanted, Leanne. I should have realised, Aaron is the one for you. I guess I shouldn't have tried to interfere with what you wanted, Leanne. You should make your own choice." Blaze explained.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing; Blaze was letting me be with who I wanted. With that, I brightly smiled and nuzzled him. "Thank you, Blaze." I said. Blaze smiled. "You're welcome, Leanne. Now you go and find him!" he said.

With that, I immediately headed out of the house. I had to find Aaron and tell him about what had just happened now. I knew exactly where Aaron would be, but I was hoping he would be there.


	18. What Really Matters

**New Reason for Living**

**Chapter 18: What Really Matters**

I sat at the cliff face where everything started. I looked out to see the sunset was out, just like it was on that day. I could clearly remember the events of the day everything changed; it was clear in my head. I looked down to see what was to be my fate at first.

"I guess like before, I don't have a choice. This is really the one way that I can be safe." I said as I looked down. The same words I said on that day ran through my head. I felt like this was the one choice I had to be safe; it was all I had left.

That was when I heard someone behind me. "Aaron?" I turned to see that it was Leanne. I was confused; I thought I wouldn't be able to see her again. "Leanne?" I asked, confused. Leanne smiled; she ran over to me and nuzzled up against me. "What are you doing here, Leanne?" I asked, confused by this.

"I came looking for you, Aaron. What were you thinking, leaving? Don't you understand how upset I was, realizing you were gone?" Leanne asked. I was surprised; I didn't think that Leanne would be that upset by the fact that I was gone.

"I had to, Leanne. I couldn't bear knowing that Blaze would make you upset by hurting me. So I'm doing this for your safety. I guess I was wrong in coming into your life in the first place." I explained and sighed, sadly. Leanne looked at me confused as I sat down to look out at the sunset. I was caught by surprise when Leanne sat down next to me; I was always like that.

"That's not true, Aaron." Leanne said. I looked over at her, wondering what she meant. "Before you came, I felt really lonely. I wanted someone to be with me not just to keep me company, but to know that I wasn't alone; that there was someone who was always there for me. When you came, you were the one, Aaron. So I want to ask; won't you please come home? I won't be the same without you." Leanne said. I couldn't believe I was hearing Leanne say that. But I shook my head; I couldn't go back with her.

"I can't, Leanne. I know what Blaze will do to me if I come back. So why should I when I know when I'm putting myself in danger?" I asked, looking away from Leanne upset. Leanne turned me to her so I looked over at her.

"Everything Blaze said wasn't true. I know Blaze well, and not everything he says is true. He was even like that we were little; it was what he enjoyed doing most." Leanne explained. I was shocked by this, by the fact that everything I heard from that argument wasn't true. And I left just because of believing that. I felt like such a fool for doing that.

"Leanne, I can't believe this. I left just because I heard something that wasn't true. I feel so terrible. I don't think you deserve someone like me; I end up making wrong decisions in the end." I sighed. Leanne was shocked; she couldn't believe what she was hearing from me.

"Aaron! I deserve you in every way. You're the one I was looking for my entire life. I don't care if we're both different; it doesn't matter to me. What matters is the fact that we both feel the same way about one another. Please don't say something like that; it isn't true." Leanne said. I still looked away sadly, unable to believe her. But there was something that was running through my head.

_I can't give up on Leanne, not after everything we've been through. She's right; she does deserve me. She doesn't care that we're different, and neither should I!_

With that, I turned to Leanne and brightly smiled. "Leanne, you're right. I guess I was wrong to think something like that; you do deserve me. And I deserve you as well." I said. Leanne smiled at this and tears built up in her eyes from her happiness.

"Aaron, I knew that what you were saying wasn't true! I love you so much!" Leanne beamed. I smiled hearing that, and knowing that I felt the same way about her as she felt about me.

"I love you too, Leanne. Sorry for scaring you." I smiled. With that, the two of us kissed. There was never a better feeling than knowing I should still be with Leanne and knowing that we both feel this way about each other. The way I saw it, this was the start of a new life together; a life where Leanne and I were with each other.


End file.
